Iowa Roommate Agreement
The Iowa rules that shape the document: no lodger law for removing a roommate, no statutory rent-liability default, and a four-room fair housing exemption that never covers advertising.
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Introduction
A roommate agreement is a private contract between co-tenants, not a lease, and it does not bind the landlord or change what the lease says. In Iowa, a handful of state facts sit on top of the national template: Iowa has no lodger law, so removing a roommate who will not leave requires the same forcible entry and detainer action (Iowa Code chapter 648) used in a landlord-tenant eviction; no Iowa statute sets a default on joint and several rent liability, so the lease controls and this agreement should state each roommate's share directly; and Iowa Code 216.12 exempts an owner or occupant renting fewer than four rooms in their own home from fair housing selection rules, but that exemption never extends to advertising the room. Everything else, the rent split, chores, guests, and quiet hours, is covered by the national template.
Key Things to Know
- 1
Iowa has no lodger law and no shortcut for removing a roommate. A roommate who will not leave can be removed only through the forcible entry and detainer action under Iowa Code chapter 648, the same formal court process used in any landlord-tenant eviction. Changing the locks or removing someone's belongings yourself is not a lawful alternative.
- 2
A roommate agreement is a contract between co-tenants only. It does not bind the landlord, does not add anyone to the lease, and does not override what the lease requires for subletting or landlord consent.
- 3
Iowa Code chapter 562A has no rule on whether a roommate added after signing is a co-tenant on the lease or a subtenant of the original tenant. That status turns entirely on the lease and the landlord's consent, so get it confirmed in writing.
- 4
No Iowa statute makes co-tenants jointly and severally liable, or liable only for their own share, for the rent owed to the landlord. The lease controls, so this agreement should spell out each roommate's dollar share and what happens on a shortfall.
- 5
Iowa's security deposit statute (Iowa Code 562A.12) governs only what the landlord must do with the deposit. It says nothing about splitting a departing roommate's share among the remaining roommates, so the agreement must set that split itself.
- 6
An owner or occupant renting fewer than four rooms in their own Iowa home is exempt from the state's fair housing selection rules and may choose a roommate on any basis, but that exemption never covers how the room is advertised (Iowa Code 216.12).
- 7
Iowa's protected classes for housing add sexual orientation and creed to the federal list. Gender identity was removed from Iowa's protected-class list in the 2025 legislative session, so an older summary that still lists it is out of date.
Key decisions before you file
Before you file a Roommate Agreement in Iowa, a few decisions shape the document: which option to choose and what each one means. The Roommate Agreement guide walks through them.
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Iowa Requirements for Roommate Agreement
Iowa has no lodger statute or other law letting one roommate remove another without going to court. A roommate who refuses to leave can be removed only through the forcible entry and detainer action under Iowa Code chapter 648, the same process used for any landlord-tenant eviction. The agreement should not suggest any self-help removal right.
Iowa Code chapter 562A has no separate statutory category for a roommate added to an existing tenancy. Whether a roommate becomes a co-tenant on the lease or remains an occupant of the original tenant, and whether landlord consent is required, is governed entirely by the lease, not by Iowa law.
No Iowa statute sets a default on whether co-tenants are jointly and severally liable for the full rent or liable only for their own share; that is fixed by the lease. The agreement should state each roommate's dollar share and the consequence of a shortfall.
Iowa Code 562A.12 governs only the deposit the landlord holds: a two-month-rent cap, trust-account handling, and a 30-day return and itemization to the tenant. It does not address dividing a departing roommate's share of a deposit already on file, so the agreement must set that split.
Iowa Code 216.12(1)(c) exempts an owner or occupant renting fewer than four rooms within their own dwelling from the state's fair housing selection rules. Section 216.12(2) removes that exemption for advertising, so any ad for the room must still comply with fair housing rules. Iowa's protected classes under Iowa Code 216.8 add sexual orientation and creed to the federal list.
Iowa's default periodic-tenancy notice, used only if the lease is silent, is 10 days for a week-to-week tenancy and 30 days for a month-to-month tenancy or longer (Iowa Code 562A.34). This notice runs to the landlord, not only between roommates.
Frequently Asked Questions
A roommate agreement is a private contract between co-tenants sharing an Iowa rental unit. It covers things like rent shares, chores, and guest rules, and it works alongside the lease, but it does not replace the lease and does not involve the landlord.
No. A roommate agreement is a contract between the roommates only. It does not alter the lease, does not add a roommate to the lease, and does not require the landlord to do anything. Adding a roommate to the lease itself still requires the landlord's own consent under the lease terms.
No. Iowa has no lodger law or other statute letting one roommate remove another without a formal court process. A roommate who will not leave can be removed only through the forcible entry and detainer action under Iowa Code chapter 648, the same process used in any landlord-tenant eviction. Changing the locks or removing someone's belongings yourself is not a lawful shortcut.
No Iowa statute sets a default rule either way. Whether each roommate answers for the full rent or only a share is fixed by what the lease itself says, so your written roommate agreement should spell out each person's dollar share and what happens if someone falls short.
Iowa Code 562A.12 only regulates the deposit the landlord holds, capping it at two months' rent and requiring a 30-day return and itemization. It says nothing about how roommates split a departing roommate's share of that deposit among themselves, so your agreement needs to set that division directly.
If you are an owner or occupant renting out fewer than four rooms within your own Iowa home, Iowa Code 216.12(1)(c) exempts that rental from the state's fair housing selection rules, so you may choose freely within that threshold. Outside it, Iowa's protected classes include sexual orientation and creed along with the federal categories.
Not safely, even if your selection itself is exempt. Iowa Code 216.12(2) removes the shared-living exemption for advertising, so an ad for the room must still comply with fair housing rules even where you could lawfully choose that way in person.
Iowa has no separate notice rule for roommates. If the lease is silent, Iowa's default periodic-tenancy notice under Iowa Code 562A.34 is 10 days for a week-to-week tenancy and 30 days for a month-to-month tenancy or longer, and that notice runs to the landlord, not just between roommates.
No. Iowa Code 364.3(16) and 331.304(13) bar every Iowa city and county from requiring a landlord to accept a housing choice voucher, which voided Iowa City's own ordinance on this as of January 1, 2023. A roommate agreement cannot change this landlord-side rule either.